All Fact Sheets Tagged patagonia

Chile’s Patagonia is one of the last untouched regions left on the planet. Among its lush fjords, dense rainforests, snow-capped glaciers, and powerful wild rivers, local communities live with a rich traditional culture. Yet, this unspoiled region and its communities are threatened by plans for a massive hydroelectric complex called HidroAysén that would dam two of Patagonia’s largest and wildest rivers. HidroAysén’s environmental review was deeply flawed and the Chilean public is strongly against the project. The project is simply not a wise investment. Get document in pdf.

Chile’s environmental review of large energy projects has been a repeated source of conflict for communities, companies, and the government. Large and harmful projects, such as the Bio Bio dams in the 1990s, the Barrancones coal plant in 2010, and the current proposed HidroAysén mega-dam complex in Patagonia, were evaluated under a fundamentally flawed system. This inadequate system does not conform to international standards and it often fails to fully assess the environmental impacts or improve the quality of projects. The Chilean parliament revised the environmental review law in late 2010 to address some of the most problematic issues. But these changes are limited and came too late for the controversial proposed HidroAysén dam project, which is fatally flawed and should not be built. Chile should further reform its environmental review system to bring it in line with international standards and reduce potential risk around future projects. Get document in pdf.

NRDC’s BioGems Initiative protects endangered wild regions and species throughout the Americas. In Latin America, NRDC has worked to preserve unspoiled ecosystems and threatened wildlife from Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to Chile’s Patagonia, working in partnership with communities and organizations to eliminate threats and to find environmentally sustainable alternatives.

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